Had Mayawati contested the coming Lok Sabha elections, the BJP would have marshalled all resources to confine her to her seat, essentially wrecking her plans to campaign across the state and address joint election rallies with the leaders of the SP and RLD.

Across Uttar Pradesh, which goes to polls in seven phases starting April 11, 28 leaders from different Opposition parties, also including the SP, RLD and Congress, have joined the BJP over the last month.

While there was talk of a BSP-Congress alliance in the run-up to the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh last year, the parties could not reach an understanding on seat-sharing.

The BJP’s move is aimed at keeping its allies in good humour in the run-up to the polls. Recently, both the parties had accused the BJP of ignoring its allies and had threatened to walk out of the alliance.

The RSS called the Supreme Court order a positive initiative and said that Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who is on the mediation panel, should meet all stakeholders, understand the sentiments of Hindus and then put forward his opinion.

Speaking to mediapersons after the second day of the Akhil Bharatiya Pratnidhi Sabha (ABPS) meet, RSS Sah Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale said in response to a question that he travelled 10 states after the air strike and nobody asked for evidence.

Top RSS leader Manmohan Vaidya told the media: “The Sabarimala Temple issue is related to age-old dharmic traditions. The Kerala government is committing excesses against Hindu devotees in the garb of implementing the Supreme Court’s decision.

In UP, which has 80 Lok Sabha seats, the SP will be contesting on 37, the BSP on 38 and the RLD on three seats. The alliance has decided not to field candidates in Congress strongholds Amethi and Rae Bareli.